When are the NWSL playoffs?
- The NWSL playoffs have an expanded format in 2024
- Eight teams make the NWSL playoffs
- The NWSL Championship kicks off on Nov. 23, 2024
The 2024 NWSL playoffs will be more competitive than ever thanks to a new, expanded format that all leads to the NWSL Championship after the Paris Olympics.
The 2024 NWSL season is the start of a new era for women's soccer. Two expansion teams, Bay FC and the Utah Royals, joined the league at the start of the 12th NWSL season, bringing the total number of teams to 14. The match calendar also features 190 total games for the first time ever.
Each team will play 26 regular season games from March to November, consisting of 13 home games and 13 away games. However, there will be a month-long break for the Paris 2024 Olympics from July 15 to August 18, momentarily stopping the domestic action for the pursuit of international glory.
Once the breaks ends and the 2024 season resumes, the playoffs are not too far off.
When are the NWSL playoffs?
The NWSL playoffs begin with the quarter-final round on the weekend of Nov. 9-10, 2024. Then, the semifinals unfold on Nov. 16-17, 2024, before the NWSL Championship kicks off on Nov. 23, 2024.
Unlike the previous format, the 2024 NWSL playoffs no longer award byes to the semifinal round. Now, each team must play a quarter-final match to make it to the next round.
The expanded format also allows eight teams to qualify for the playoffs in 2024 as opposed to just six.
NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman stated, "Underscored by the addition of our 13th and 14th franchises, an enhanced match calendar and, critically, groundbreaking media rights agreements that will ensure our games are readily accessible to more fans than ever before, the 2024 campaign represents a new era for the NWSL as we continue our efforts to deliver the best product in professional soccer.”
The NWSL playoffs promise more action, storylines, and drama than ever before come November.